Extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement



Feb. 16, 1937.

EXTRACTION ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE ARRANGEMENT Pig. 1. f

E.- D. DICKINSON ET'AL 2,071,199

Fil ed Oct. 5, 1935 Inventcrs Edgar D. Dickinson, Fran kl in F3.'Ericsoh, Prescott G. Whittier",

W 1 6.34% by 'l ei Attorney.

Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXTRACTION ELASTICFLUID TURBINE ARRANGEMENT Application October 5, 1935, Serial No. 43,794

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to extraction elastic fluid turbinearrangements; that is, to the type of turbines from which elastic fluidis extracted by means of a conduit connected to an in- 5 termediateturbine stage for conducting such fluid to an industrial plant or likeapparatus in which available energy of the extracted fluid is consumed.In many cases, such as where the extraction fluid is used for processingpurposes,

10 it becomes desirable to supply and consequently extract theextraction fluid at constant pressure or like fixed condition. This isaccomplished by the provision of interstage valve means disposed behindthe extraction stage, as regards the dil5 rection of flow of elasticfluid therethrough. With such valve means, the pressure in the EX".traction conduit may be maintained constant by closing the valve meansin response to a drop in pressure; that is, an increased demand forextraction fluid, and by opening the valve means in response to anincrease in pressure of the extraction conduit which may be due to adecrease in demand for extraction fluid.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved construction andarrangement of the type of extraction turbines above specified whereby acondition such as the pressure of the extracted elastic fluid may bereadily and accurately controlled.

30 For a consideration of what we believe to be novel in our invention,attention is directed to the following description and the claimsappended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing.

35 In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a sectional view of an extractionturbine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view ofFig. 1 along line 2-2 of Fig.1; Fig. 1 being a view along line ll ofFig. 2; and Fig. 3 is a 40 perspective exploded view of certain elementsof Figs. 1 and 2.

The arrangement comprises a turbine casing having a lower half I and anupper half II secured together along a horizontal plane through 45 theturbine center. An intermediate portion of the upper casing half forms achest 12 which is closed by means including a top plate l3 and a sideplate M. The turbine rotor disposed in the casing, comprises a shaft l5and a plurality of 50 bucket wheels secured thereto. In the presentinstance, we have shown a bucket wheel I6 and another wheel ll, thefirst forming a part of a higher stage, the latter a part of a lowerstage. During operation, elastic fluid flowing through 55 the turbine isdischarged irom the wheel 16 and conducted to the wheel I! by meansincluding a diaphragm I8 comprising two halves suitably supported on theouter turbine casing. Not all of the elastic fluid discharged from thehigher stage or wheel I6 is conducted to the lower stage of 5 wheel H,but a part of the fluid discharged from the wheel I6 is extractedthrough a flanged opening or conduit of IS, the lower casing half; thatis, the higher stage with the bucket wheel I6 forms an extraction stage.10

Means are provided for controlling the flow of elastic fluid from thehigher or extraction stage to the succeeding or lower stage in ordertomaintain constant a condition of the elastic fluid in the extractionstage; more specifically, in the extraction opening or conduit [9. Inthe present instance, we have shown means for maintaining constant theextraction pressure. This means comprises, in accordance with ourinvention, a plurality of substantially balanced valves for controllingthe admission of elastic fluid to the lower stage ll, l8. Thearrangement shown in the drawing includes eight valves, 20, 2|, 22, 23,24, 25, 26, and 21 (Fig. 1). The valves are arranged in pairs; that is,the valves 20, 2|, form one pair, 25 the valves 22, 23 form anotherpair, etc. and means are provided for consecutively actuating the pairsof valves and the valves of each pair. Thus, during operation the valvesmay be opened and closed consecutively in the order aforementioned. Eachlower valve has a stationary valve casing 28 (Fig. 2) and each uppervalve has a stationary casing or body 29. Both these casings aresecuredto a disc 30 by bolts 3|. The disc 30 is split along a horizontalplane 32 (Fig. 1), into two halves united with the diaphragm I8 by meansincluding spacers 33 and welds 34. The provision of the spacers 33 forspacing thevalve disc from the diaphragm is important in that it rendersthe structure more rigid and thus reduces deformation of the diaphragm,the disc 30 and the valves secured thereto. All of the valves are in theform of substantially balanced poppet valves. The lower valves includediscs 35 and 36 secured by welds 31 to a hollow valve stem 5 or tube 38projecting through guides 39 held on the valve casing 28. The uppervalves include discs 40 and 4| secured by welds 42 to a hollow valvestem or tube 43 projecting through a guide 44 fastened to the valvecasing 29. The hollow valve stems of the lower and upper valves areloosely connected and held in approximate alinement by means of a tube45 which has a sleeve or thimble 46 secured to its lower end portion andsurrounding the upper end portion of the lower hollow valve stem 38 anda sleeve or thimble 41 secured to its upper end portion and surroundingthe lower end of the upper hollow valve stem 43. The tube 45, which maybe termed an intermediate tube or stem, serves primarily to effectopening movement of the upper valve after the lower valve is at leastpartially opened. The valves are free to move in their respectivebodies. The sleeves or thimbles 46 and 41 form a clearance with therespective ends of the valve stems to introduce flexibility in order topermit the valves to operate freely in case the valve stems go out ofalinement due to expansion or deflection of the diaphragm. This is animportant feature of our arrangement. As will be noted in Fig. 1, suchintermediate tube or stem is provided only with respect to the innerpairs of valves, that is, the valves adjacent the vertical center lineof the turbine. Such intermediate tube or stem is not provided withrespect to the pairs of valves 20', 2| and 26, 21 because these pairs ofvalves are close together and arranged so that the stem of the lowervalve picks up directly the stem of the upper valve. Valve actuating rod48 is provided with a key 49 which has an upper spherically shapedsurface 58 engaging a spherically shaped surface 5| formed by an inwardprojection 52 on the lower end of the hollow valve stem 38. From anotherviewpoint, the lower end of the hollow valve stem 38 is substantiallyclosed to form a key opening 53 through which the key 48 is moved duringassembly and disassembly. In operative position, the key 49 is turned by90 with respect to the opening 53. Locking means are provided forretaining the key in operative position. This locking means includes atube 54 which has two tongues or looking members 55 and 56 provided atits lower end. These locking members project into the opening 53 afterthe key 49 has been. turned by 90 with respect to the opening 53. Duringassembly the rod 48 with the key 49 are moved downward through the valvestem 38 until the key 49 has passed the opening 53. Thereafter, therod48' is turned by 90 and the. locking tube 54 is moved downward until thetongues or looking members 55 and 56 project into or through the keyopening 53. In this position, the looking tube 54 prevents relativeturning movement between the-actuating rod 48 and the valve stems 38 and43. The retaining or looking tube 54 also forms a lower outer shoulder51 for positively closing the lower valve. Positive closing of the uppervalve is effected by a collar 58 welded to the locking tube 54 above thehollow upper valve stem 43.

The upper end of the actuating rod is connected by means of a flexiblecoupling 59 to a rod 60 which forms in substance an extension of the rod48. The mechanism for moving the rod 60 comprises a gear segment 6|supported on a fulcrum 62 and connected to a control or' actuatingelement 63. The segment 6| meshes with a gear 54 secured to a shaft 65.The shaft 65 carries a cam 66 with respect to each pair of valves. Eachcam 66 has a surface cooperating with a roller 61 supported on theright-hand end of a lever 68. The left-hand end of the latter is securedto a fulcrum 69 and an intermediate point is provided with a roller 10engaging an abutment 1| fastened to the upper end of the rod 60. Eachrod 60 is surrounded by a compression spring T2 secured at its lower endto a disc 13 on the rod 60 and at its upper end to a stationary plate15. The compression spring 12" serves to bias the valve discs towardsclosing position and to maintain constant contact between the rollers 61and the corresponding cams 66.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: If the demand for elasticfluid in the extraction conduit l9 decreases, the regulating or controlelement 63 is pulled downward to effect counterclockwise turningmovement of the gear segment 6|. This causes clockwise movement of thegear 64 and the cam 66, whereby the roller 61, together with theright-hand end of the lever 68, is forced upward, causing upwardmovement of the actuating rods 60 and 48. Upward movement of the rod 48through the key 49 effects upward movement of the hollow valve stem 38causing opening of the lower valve discs 35, 36. As soon as the lowervalve is opened a predetermined amount, the upper end of theintermediate tube 45 engages the lower end of the upper hollow valvestem 43 so that further upward movement of the valve actuating rod 48'effects opening movement of the upper valve discs 40 and 4|. Similarly,during closing movement, the rods 60, and 48 are moved downwardly by theaction of the compression spring 12 and the weight of the movable valvemembers. During downward movement of the valve actuating rod 48 thevalves are also closed in succession. At first the upper valve is closedand thereafter the lower valve. Closing is aided by the elastic fluidpressure due to the fact that each poppet valve is slightly unbalancedso that the pressure of elastic fluid tends to move the valve discsdownward towards closing position. As will be readily seen in thedrawing, the upper discs 35 and 4| of each valve are slightly larger inarea than the lower discs 36 and 40,. whereby the difference in pressurebetween the outside of the valve bodies 28 and 29 and within said valvebodies assures tight closing of the valves.

Having described the method of operation of our invention, together withthe apparatus which we now consider to represent the best embodimentthereof, we desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown isonly illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by othermeans.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. An extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement including thecombination of a turbine casing, a rotor having a plurality of bucketwheels disposed in the casing to form a plurality of con secutivestages, means for extracting elastic fluid from an intermediate stage, adiaphragm for directing the flow of elastic fluid within the easing fromthe extraction stage to the succeeding bucket wheel and means forcontrolling the flow of elastic fluid to the diaphragm in order tomaintain constant a condition of the extracted fluid, said meanscomprising a disk disposed ahead of the diaphragm as regards thedirection of flow of fluid, spacing means intermediate the diaphragm andthe disk supporting the disk on the diaphragm and reducing deformationsof the diaphragm and the disk, a plurality of pairs of valves forcontrolling the flow through said openings and means for consecutivelymoving the pairs of valves.

2. An extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement including thecombination of a casing, a rotor in the casing forming a higher stageand a lower stage, means for extracting elastic fluid from the higherstage and means for controlling the flow of elastic fluid from thehigher stage to the lower stage to maintain constant a condition of theextracted fluid, said means comprising a disk having a plurality ofupper and lower openings disposed between the higher stage and the lowerstage and supported on the casing, and valve means for controlling theflow of elastic fluid through the openings, said valve means beingarranged in pairs, each pair including an upper and a lower valve bodyfastened to the disc, a substantially balanced valve member including ahollow valve stem for each body and means for effecting consecutivemovement of the valve stems.

3. An extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement including thecombination of a casing, means disposed within the casing forming anextraction stage and a succeeding stage, a disk located intermediate thetwo stages and supported on the casing, said disk having two openingsvertically above each other, an upper and a lower valve, each valveincluding a body secured to the disc and a substantially balanced valvemember having a hollow stem to control the flow from the extractionstage through the disk openings to the succeeding stage, means aligningthe hollow valve stems of the two valves and to effect consecutivemovement of the two valves comprising an intermediate hollow stem havingan 7 upper sleeve surrounding the lower end of the upper hollow stem anda lower sleeve surrounding the upper end of the lower hollow stem, andmeans for moving the valves comprising an actuating rod concentricallydisposed within the hollow valve stems and including a key secured toits lower end for engaging the lower end of the lower hollow valve stem.

4. An extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement including thecombination of a casing, means disposed within the casing forming anextraction stage and a succeeding stage, a disc having two openingsvertically above each other being disposed intermediate the stages, anupper and a lower valve for controlling the flow of fluid through saidopenings, each valve including a body secured to the disc and asubstantially balanced valve member having a hollow stem, means foreffecting consecutive movement of the two valves comprising anintermediate hollow stem engaging the adjacent ends of the hollow stems,means for moving the valves comprising an actuating rod concentricallydisposed within the hollow valve stems and having a key secured to itslower end for engaging the lower end of the lower hollow valve stem, andlocking means to prevent relative rotary movement between the actuatingrod and the lower valve stem.

5. An extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement including thecombination of a casing, means disposed within the casing forming anextraction stage and a succeeding stage, a disc having upper and loweropenings vertically above each other being disposed between the stagesand supported on the casing, means including an upper and a lower valvefor controlling the flow of elastic fluid through the openings, eachvalve including a body secured to the disk and a valve member with ahollow stem, means aligning the hollow valve stems and effectingconsecutive movement of the two valves comprising an intermediate stemengaging the upper and the lower valve stems, and means for moving thevalve members comprising an actuating rod concentrically disposed withinthe hollow valve stems and having a key secured to its lower end incooperative relation with the lower hollow valve stem, a locking tubesurrounding the actuating rod for preventing relative rotary movementbetween the actuating rod and the lower valve stem and a collar securedto an upper portion of the locking tube to effect positive closing ofthe upper valve.

6. An extraction elastic fluid turbine arrangement including thecombination of a casing, a higher stage and a lower stage including adiaphragm formed in the casing, an extraction conduit connected betweenthe higher stage and the lower stage, and means for controlling thecondition of elastic fluid in the extraction conduit comprising a dischaving an upper and a lower opening and disposed ahead of the diaphragmas regards the direction of flow of elastic fluid, means for spacing thedisc from and securing it to the diaphragm, and means for controllingthe flow of elastic fluid through said openings comprising an uppervalve and a lower valve, each valve having a valve stem, and meansloosely connected between the valve stems to permit opening of one valveafter the other valve has been at least partially opened, said lastnamed means permitting flexibility between the valves and free movementthereof during expansion and deflection of the diaphragm.

EDGAR D. DICKINSON. FRANKLIN R. ERICSON. PRESCOTT G. WHIT'I'IER.

